Joe Hundley Fired From Aerospace and Defense, Composite Group for Slapping 19-Month-Old Boy On Airplane To Atlanta

SPOKANE, Wash. (KARE) -- A man charged with slapping a child while on a flight from Minneapolis to Atlanta has been fired by his employer.

Al Haase, the president and CEO of Aerospace and Defense, Composite Group released a statement Sunday afternoon stating, "Reports of the recent behavior of one of our business unit executives while on personal travel are offensive and disturbing." He called the behavior "embarassing" and "contradictory to our values."

Joe Hundley, 60, was charged with simple assault after he allegedly hit a 19-month-old boy who had started to cry.

Jessica Bennett, the child's mother, says her son started to cry as the pressure changed when the plane descended. She says that's when Hundley allegedly slapped her son.

According to court documents, Bennett alleges Hundley leaned over and said, "Shut that [N-word] baby up!" before slapping the child and causing him to bleed and cry even harder.

According to the AGC Aerospace and Defense, Composites Group statement, the company has taken the matter very seriously and says that as of Sunday, Hundley is no longer employed with them.